State organizers say between 10,000 and 12,000 people have signed up for the Women's March on Washington Jan. 21, estimating that many more will attend who have yet to RSVP via social media. Of those attending from the state, at least 1,600 are leaving from central Pennsylvania on buses. Others are setting up carpools and taking private trips to the historic march, said Shawna Knipper, an organizer for the Women's March on Washington Pennsylvania Chapter.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 240 buses scheduled to leave Pennsylvania to take people the march. Nearly all of those buses are filled, including 20 buses from Lancaster County, 11 from Dauphin County, seven from York County and three from Cumberland County.

"This is more than a grand statement and a gesture -- this is a movement," Knipper said.

Alexandra Hackett Ferber, also an organizer for the march, characterized the event as a pro-women's rally spurred by the highly divisive presidential election where half of the voting population felt like it was disregarded. Hackett Ferber added that even though the march is the day after President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office, it is call to action for those fighting for change rather than a protest of the politician.

"This event gives them something constructive and active to do with their emotions and expressing their voices," Hackett Ferber said, also encouraging men to attend and support the cause.

Knipper said the march has received bipartisan support from women who have been disenfranchised in the fight for equal pay, health care costs and other rights across the spectrum. She added that the inequalities women have faced isn't new with the Trump administration but is something that has surged to the forefront of the conversation with his purported policies and stated desires by Congress to repeal and restrict certain rights key to women.

"This fight has been going on since the original fight to vote," Knipper said. "This is just a resurfacing of the fight that's been going on."

Both Knipper and Hackett Ferber pointed to the vitriol surrounding the election as reasons many people don't feel comfortable making statements in their own communities but are making the trip to D.C. A small group of women in Hummelstown might feel isolated at home, for example, but will be empowered when they gather with people in Dauphin County and join 200,000 marchers at the capitol, Hackett Ferber said.

Addressing the notion of recent contentious dialogues about race and women's issues, Hackett Ferber said the march is opening up conversations and discussions that are long overdue. She noted her own education on issues for women with disabilities when saying everyone has something they can learn about equality and advocating for the rights of others.

"Part of this movement is education," Hackett Ferber said, adding that people must be willing to understand the role of of historical privilege and inequalities.

Knipper agreed, adding that the difficult topics must be addressed so that equality for women extends to women of color, sexual orientation, social status and other differentiating factors.

"We are aware of the issues and we're trying to do better," Knipper said. "The fact that women marched previously for rights and the rights that were gained was a win is great, but when true equality doesn't exist, there is still a fight to be fought."

Hackett Ferber said the march is just the beginning of a movement that will extend beyond Jan. 21. Though the immediate task is to connect people with resources to get to the capitol, longer-term goals include a nonprofit and education on how to run for office.

"We're here, we're watching, we're not going to go away," Hackett Ferber said. "We're going to hold you accountable for the next four years."